Adventures in Reality

A little out of the usual

Went down town yesterday to see what I could find at the “Refugee Carnival” that was held in the New World Park on Burma Road, near the Giant Supermarket, and came back with something I never anticipated having … a henna design on my hand!

Isn’t that sweet?

It was done by Aini from Tanjung Tokong. She’s been doing this as a part-time occupation for a few years now. This is a new cultural experience for me as I’ve seen Indian and Malay women decorate their hands and feet with henna design but it didn’t occur to me to try, up to now.

Aini and her husband.

There were quite a few kids and parents from the refugee community. The kids entertained the crowd singing popular English songs.

Rohingya refugee kids choir

And participating in a drawing competition.

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Busy bee kids

And here are some toddlers, I couldn’t resist snapping.

I wonder…

Can I play too?

Sweet dreams and bliss in Mum’s arms.

It was a pretty good day for them and for me. Just a break for them from the everyday grind of being a refugee, to feel human and normal for these few precious hours.

How lucky Malaysians are to live in peace and safety, able to go wherever we wish without having to look over our shoulders at every turn and dreading the worst at the back of our minds. Often, we take stability for granted but will appreciate it even more if we know how precarious the existence of a refugee is. Just to survive is a struggle because there is no security and no guarantee of meeting basic human needs of food, shelter, clothing, education or medical treatment. Some food for thought…